Child&#39;s sulky.



J. N. WHEELER. CHILD'S SULKY. APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1911.

Patented May 27, 1913.

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\ w 2t WM JOEL N. WHEELER, OF GENEVA, ILLINOIS.

CHILDS SULKY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 11, 1911.

Patented May 27, 1913.

Serial No. 626,553.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoEL N. WHEELER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Geneva, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Childs Sulky, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a childs sulky with the object in view of preventing unintentional lateral overturn when at rest, and at the same time supporting the seat either by spring or non-resilient material, and providing a support and housing for the blankets and wraps, as well as a foot-rest suited to legs of different lengths.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing the seat-frame, axle, tongue and parts which immediately coact therewith. Fig. 2 is a vertical section from front to rear. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan. Fig. 4 is a view in detail showing a modified means of attaching the tongue to the axle, and modified means of attaching the extensions to the springs and Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a modified form.

The sulky which I have chosen to illustrate my invention is of the reversible type, such as shown in my United States Patent No. 977,495, and in my pending applications Serial Nos. 611498 and 622734, the seat back, indicated in Fig. 1, being arranged to swing into position toward and away from the tongue, in order to convert the sulky into either a push or a pull vehicle at pleasure.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the seat-frame is denoted by 1 and may be of any well known or approved form. It is suitably secured at or near one end to the upper half 2 of a full elliptic spring, the lower half 3 of said spring being secured in any well known or approved manner to the axle 4. In like manner the opposite end of the seat 1 is supported by a full elliptic spring, the upper half of which is secured to the seat, and lower half to the axle 4, the two springs being quite similar in construction. The springs referred to, in a vehicle for babies and young children, are made light to afford the desired resilient action, and, in the absence of the reinforcing elements to be hereinafter described, would not be stiff enough to give the seat the desired stability. To provide the stability without detracting from the resiliency, and at the same time provide for foot-rests at varying distances from the seat, and to form a rest for robes and blankets, the opposite ends of each spring are provided with extensions which curve outwardly, downwardly and inwardly, and terminate in proximity to the under sides of the lower halves of the springs to the rear and front of the axle. The two extensions from the rear ends of the springs are denoted by 5 and 6, and the two extensions from the forward ends of the springs are denoted by 7 and 8. These extensions may be secured at one end between the ends of the upper and lower halves of the elliptic springs as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and their opposite ends may be riveted to the lower halves of the springs, and either joined to form a continuous piece as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, or separated as shown in Fig. 4. The rear extensions 5 and 6 are connected by several cross slats, in the present instance three, denoted by 9, 10, 11, and the front extensions by several cross slats in the present instance three, denoted by 12, 13, 14.

The tongue, denoted by 15, extends at its inner end under the axle, as shown in Fig. 2, and engages the fiat shank of a hook 16, the bight of the hook embracing the rear of the axle 4, a bolt 17 passing down through the tongue and shank of the clip to bind the several parts snugly together. The seat is braced and the tilt of the seat modified by a pair of horizontal braces 18, 19, which diverge from the tongue as they extend rearwardly, their forward ends being secured to the tongue at 20, and their rear ends to the underside of the seat-frame at 21 and 22, see Fig. 3; and the tongue is held in position by a pair of braces 23, 24, which extend from a point 25 on the tongue, downwardly and outwardly to the front extensions 8 and 7, preferably at the opposite ends of the front slat 12.

As above constructed, the cross-slats and extensions serve to brace the springs and to form foot-rests and floors to retain robes and clothing. The extensions also serve to prevent the lateral overturn of the vehicle as well as to limit its forward and rearward tilt. The braces 23 and 24 hold the tongue in its proper relation to the body or structure and at the same time do not interfere with the resiliency of the springs.

In the form shown in Fig. 5, the elliptic springs are omitted, the forward and rearward extensions (the former denoted by 26, 27, and the latter by 28, 29) being extended at their upper ends to the seat-frame to which they are attached, and their lower ends being connected and forming a continuous piece secured to the axle. The tongue may be, in this form, secured directly to the front of the seat frame, as at 30. Wire gauze or other suitable material 31, may be substituted for the cross slats, where the seat supports are not necessarily resilient, as in the form shown in Fig. 5, and. a layer of gauze might be laid over the slats shown in Fig. 1, if so desired.

In using the terms forward and rear- Ward the term forward is applied to the side from which the tongue projects and rearward to the opposite side.

What I claim is:

1. In a childs sulky, in combination, a seat frame, an axle, a tongue, a pair of elliptic springs connecting the seat frame and axle and provided with extensions directly connected therewith to limit tilt, cross connections between the said extensions, diverging swinging braces'indirectly connecting the tongue and seat frame and means for connecting the tongue with the axle.

2. In a childs sulky, in combination, a seat frame, an axle, a tongue, elliptic springs connecting the seat frame and axle and provided with extensions directly connected therewith to limit the tilt, diverging swinging links connecting the tongue and seat frame, diverging links connecting the tongue and certain of the extensions, and means for connecting the tongue wit-h the axle.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two witnesses, this 6th day of May, 1911.

JOEL N. WHEELER.

W'itnesses WM. GAYLORD, MABEL A. ANDERSON.

G0pies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

